Railroad-station indicator



JUNG ION REITAY RI 0 H M ON D TERSBUR N-PETERS, PHDTD-LITHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

" TED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

CHARLES A. MOEVOY, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

RAILROAD-STATION INDICATOR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13,824, dated November 20, 1855; Reissued. August 23, 1859, No. 800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAs. A. MoEvoY, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico, in

the State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful machine, which I denominate the Station-Annunciator for Railroad- Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 represents the end view of the car-body with the apparatus attached and covered with its casing. Fig. 2 is a top view with the outer casing removed, the yielding, the partial inside inclosure, A A, being secured to the top of car by screws, 2', i. This casing is merely a thin metallic sheathing, and is intended to compel the hinged signs, or symbols, to keep in their proper rotative position as they pass around as hereafter explained. Fig. 3 shows the casing removed with the signs a, a, a, hanging, being hinged at m m m on bars distending two circular disks 0 0 which revolve in bearings on an axle at b b,- Fig. 4, cross section showing four signs to the opening 0, when they drop into visible position by their own weight as at a. It may be here observed, that from this latter position at a, the signs (as the signs a a moved a proper distance, intermittently) are drawn up as at a and proceed to return. Fig. 5, end View showing the projections or teeth 70, 7a, which serve in combination with the trigger lever t, to turn the disks, just the proper distance at each movement of the lever t, to let down or take up a sign. Fig. 6 represents polygonal disks on the reel serving in conjunction with the spring w, x, to bring into and to retain in proper position the signs as they are brought into and taken out of sight by the revolution of the reel.

With the foregoing explanations and drawings, but a short general description need precede the claim to a machine so simple.

My invention is designed to enable the conductor, (or automatically, as hereafter shown) to cause any convenient symbol or deviceI have herein used lettered signs to appear to the passengers inside the car indicating the place, time of stoppage, distance'&c. I have adopted a rotary mechanism but its equivalent may clearly be effected by curved or rectilinear apparatus. The machine may be placed at any part of the car. I prefer the top, middle, and center, and if possible would claim that position.

I construct a reel; that is I place two disks at proper distances apart, to admit the length of sign required, and connect these by any number of round rods of metal parallel to the axle or central rod passing through the centers (see Fig. 8) m m m, and to each of them a sign is hinged to move by its own weight (or by springs &c. if preferred.) This reel is hung in bearings (at 4, 4, Fig. 2,) made fast to the top of the car, at cl, (Z. This reel is caused to move so as to bring a sign into View, and to remove it at its next move in the following manner: A lever t, pivoted at c (Fig. 2) may move by means of a cord 0, to right and left; it is brought back by an ordinary spring 8, to its normal position as in the drawing. The inner arm of the lever (Z strikes against one of the project-ions (Fig. 5) as it is drawn by cord 0, and turning the reel one move, which is regulated -by the projection y (Fig. 5) throwing the lever out of connection with projection 70 (Fig. 5) and thus brings into sight through the aperture at 0 (Fig. 4) the sign as at a (Fig. 1). The reel is retained in position while the lever slides back to its normal position by a spring 37 (Fig. 2) operating upon one face of the polygonal disk as seen at (Fig. 6) 00 00. Thus one jerk of the cord presents a sign to the passengers and the next similar jerk withdraws that sign and leaves the aperture ready for the admission of another sign in order at next jerk of cord. It is evident that the lever t may at 0 (Fig. 1) be struck by stops properly arranged on the road and thus obviate the cord rendering the machine automatic and entirely independent of the conductor.

Disclaiming the use of an indicator pointing to fixed signs, and also movable signs ner as to make each sign in turn drop Where but one side is Visible, I claim as new through a slot substantially as'her'einbefore 10 and of my own invention set forth.

Presenting a movable sign or symbol to 5 passengers of a railroad car, so that both sides of said sign shall be visible and utilized Witnesses: as annuneiators, by swinging said signs to JAS. D. BRUCE EVANS, the angles of a polygonal reel in such man- WILLIAM F. OWENS.

CHAS. A. MoEVOY.

[FIRsT PRINTED 1912.] 

